Located near a shaded forest at the stretching foothills of a secluded mountain range, the village of Sorne is a quiescent locale. Recently, an oppressive religious sect has moved in, the local witch has been arrested and set to be burned, and a round of gruesome murders has the village on the precipice of total chaos.
What follows is an outline for an adventure in Sorne.
(I don't have much to say about vampires, but this is tangentially
vampire related enough for me to say this is part of Vampire Weekend)
What's Happened So Far
Untold seasons ago:
A youth of nobility from a culture whose language and name has been rent from memory profaned a temple after his family refused his marriage to an apprentice priestess. As a consequence, a now unknown spirit of great power and malice issued a curse upon him such that he would only gain sustenance from consuming those around him. His love and familial piety was eroded until only the drive for survival remained- at the cost of all that he loved. Upon recognition of his heinous crimes against his lover and his family he threw himself into a well to be consumed by the waters deep in the earth.
Many years ago:
In the village that would become known as Sorne, a young girl escaped from wretched conditions and happened upon an ancient well. Thinking to seek the only hiding place her pursuers could not find her, she threw herself into its depths and therein happened upon the long slumbering night creature- body and mind warped by the passage of unknowable time. Desperation and chance saw the girl sing a song that charmed the beast, reminding it of the human it once was. In this encounter a subtle pact was formed, and the creature destroyed the girl's pursuers. From hereon, it bore the name Venge and the girl would be known as Hadira.
With time, Hadira learned many forgotten sciences and magics from Venge, and she came to be known as a witch of great power in the nearby lands. As her powers grew, she learned to call and quell the beast-mentor Venge who dwells within the ancient well. Using a specially crafted flute of ancient design, the beast would grant her any desire. During this peak of her powers, Hadira ordered the death of many a vile beast and man in the region, her counsel kept close and her blessing sought by the daring and desperate of the nearby towns.
The monster Venge, now awakened and half-dreaming in bloody silt, was still wracked by its curse. Each day its memory and humanity eroded until its title of mentor was in name only. Awake now, Hadira increasingly found Venge to be more and more bloodthirsty, and more and more meals necessary to sate its growing hunger. In this time, there were many sentenced to sate his bloodthirst by necessity and not by justice.
Whispers and rumor spread around the region of a powerful demon that haunts the woods and holds the villages and towns in its hungering grasp, their blood destined to sate its growing hunger.
In the last year:
The Choral Order, a militant order of singing priests and priestesses sanctioned by local regents, has been expanding its reach and setting up temples in cities and towns as far and wide as it can. Their creed is simple, issuing that all who wish to break free from the torments of eternal toil and the cycle of birth and rebirth need only sing loud with the Order at each service to ascend and free their souls. Through fervent and charismatic preachers, their religious zeal burst out of peasant towns and has washed over nobility and commoner alike. True or not, the resources they command are great- and the belief that fills their followers enables them to take great undertakings of courage.
One of many similar endeavors, the Choral Order established a small temple in Sorne and began preaching to its people their creed. The assigned priest, Prelate Donan, quickly hears of the demon haunting the region and sets his order to finding and killing it to earn goodwill with the locals.
Royalty in the region, now faded in power and prowess, adhered to a long ancient bloodline of priests and priestesses that adhered to now nameless gods and goddesses. Their bloodline once performed great miracles, bearing forward the blessings of their nameless divine ancestors their kiss can break any curse, no matter the origin and undo any transformation. The recent rise of the Choral Order has caused no small amount of strife in the region, and Royalists have secluded away one of the heirs to the throne in Sorne for safekeeping from rivals. Her name is Galia, and she does not know the full story of her heritage. Remus, a former captain of the royal guard now wears the guise of her father and acts as a shepherd in the town, with Galia as his daughter.
Last month:
Adir, child of Thorvald, the headman of Sorne, along with a gang of other adolescents stole into the home of Hadira as a test of bravery. While there, Adir stole Hadira's ancient flute and the gang fled into the night. Without the flute, Hadira has been increasingly unable to control Venge who has been killing at will in the town of Sorne on the first night of each week. Adir now exerts a tight-lipped control on the other adolescents who were with them and has hidden the flute under Thorvald's home- afraid of the consequences of the theft.
Since then, Hadira has grown frantic and has been wounded by Venge as she has lost the ability to control the beast. In her weakness, she has been captured by the Prelate Donan and sentenced to death as the cause of the deaths in the region. Varia, de facto leader of the local Women's Circle, has been leading a subtle campaign amongst the women of Sorne to sway the men into freeing Hadira, but the stacking deaths each week have frozen them with fear.
Dramatis Personae:
Varia: Though not the eldest of the Women's Circle, Varia has risen to lead it through force of personality and sheer stubbornness. She sternly treats with the men of town and chastises them for supernatural beliefs, and especially has no love for Prelate Donan and the Choral Order's followers in town.
Thorvald: Headman through tradition and as a consequence of running Sorne's lone tavern: Knight's Rest. A recent widower, Thorvald has been having a difficult time keeping the town together especially after the forceful intrusion of the Choral Order.
Adir: Much like their father, Adir is a leader- but of the town's youths. Adventurous, bold, and known to get into no small amount of trouble. Now thinking that they have failed their father and their town- and fearing the hex and retribution of the renowned local witch, Adir's usual brash demeanor is much more curtailed and they jump at the slightest shadow.
Prelate Donan: A firm, militaristic conservative. Donan is an older man who once served in the Royal Armies. Having been converted to the Choral Order after a chance meeting with a charismatic preacher, Donan has spent the last ten years with a tight group of followers going from town to town and setting up new temples. Donan commands a force of ten armed men, all army veterans, who act as his own personal law enforcement throughout the town. The Choral Order has received a great deal of popular support, especially from the elderly and as well from many of the youth- though the leaders of Sorne are still skeptical.
Galia: A young woman nearing her coming of age, Galia has quickly been absorbed into Sorne society and accepted amongst the Women's Circle. She does not know about her heritage and believes Remus to be her father. She strongly resembles the long dead lover of Venge and, if seen by him, will inevitably be dragged back into his murky home beneath the waters of the well.
Remus: Reserved and extremely cautious, Remus swore an oath to Galia's father to keep her safe and takes it deadly serious. He has been accepted by the other men of Sorne and is recognized as a skilled shepherd very protective of his daughter.
Hadira: No one but Hadira knows her age, but even the oldest of Sorne recall their mothers and grandmothers seeking Hadira for counsel. She has diminished greatly in power since her peak, and now presents as a cranky old woman with a lash for a tongue. Since being injured by Venge she has been barely able to mount a defense, much less a spell, and has been deprived of food by the Choral Order since her capture. She is unwilling to tell the nature of Venge to any of the Choral Order and believes there must be a way to prevent his recent bloodlust.
Venge: Not even his bones remember his old form. Once, he was a man, but the burden of his curse, the depths of his murky sanctum, and the unerring turning of time has changed him into a creature resembling a bear sized fanged salamander. Venge possesses incredible speed and strength for a brief time after leaving the well but cannot travel far and cannot travel during the day- as Venge bears a vampiric curse. His mind has been eroded like a stone tossed in a river but his predator instinct is keen. Hadira's ancient flute is able to draw him out of this predatory mindset for a time- though even with it the effect is only temporary as he increasingly feeds on the local townsfolk. Venge's attacks are brutal, often crushing body parts or ripping them off to incapacitate his prey before draining the blood from their bodies, leaving them shriveled and broken.
Notable Locations
The Choral Temple: Newly constructed of wood, the temple has been fortified by Prelate Donan against the attacks of the night creatures. A root cellar has been converted into a holding cell for Hadira, and Prelate Donan and the rest of the Order hold that as long as she lives her demons will plague the town.
Hadira's Cabin: Deep in the woods, the cabin is high up in a tree and adorned with many fetishes and charms of strange make. The creatures of the woods, squirrels, owls, deer, etc, all owe Hadira allegiance and try to prevent unwanted intrusions. Her cat familiar, Phalanx, was unceremoniously stuffed into a chest by Adir and friends during their intrusion and is yowling for escape. Though Phalanx can't speak, they know exactly what is going on and wish to free Hadira.
Knight's Rest: Sorne's main gathering hall, the Knight's Rest is usually a warm and welcoming place for the townsfolk to relax in. With tensions high, it now acts as a gathering place for the small milita of Sorne and for the townsfolk to make their voices heard to Thorvald who tries to keep the peace. Hadira's ancient flute is hidden behind several sacks of flour in the cellar.
An Ancient Well: Even deeper in the forest, along paths even deer do not tread, stands a wide ancient well. It plunges deep into the earth and beneath its dark waters Venge makes his lair, buried in silt and clinging to dreams of a past world. Over much time, many have thrown valuables and treasures into the well and they all rest at the bottom as Venge's bed.
What Will Happen
After the party arrives and if nothing is done to interfere, here is generally what happens:
Day One: Varia loudly confronts Prelate Donan with the eldest of the Women's Circle and demands Hadira's release. Thorvald urges reason and calm and breaks up the argument, calling for a town meeting the following day. A shepherd is torn apart and drained of blood tonight as well as his entirely family in their home.
Day Two: Remus confines Galia to their home and takes to prowling the fields nearby on patrol. The town holds a meeting at Knight's Rest where Prelate Donan presses the case that the killings are Hadira's doing and demands the town consent to her execution. Varia vehemently protests and Thorvald is torn by the new adherents to the Choral Order with Adir also pleading for Hadira's execution (*as a means to cover up their theft into Hadira's Cabin). The baker and her family are killed tonight by Venge, their house crushed by his massive body.
Day Three: A low fog clings to the town throughout the day and the Sorne militia, a group of poorly armed farmers, patrols with fervor. Children are kept up at home. Hadira begins casting a spell, her chanting heard as babbling by anyone nearby the Choral Order's Temple. Galia escapes from home tonight and consults with Varia before heading into the woods to search Hadira's Cabin. Freeing Phalanx she learns Adir is somehow the source of the beast's attacks and returns to town unharmed. Tonight, two of the armed contingent of the Choral Order are slaughtered in front of the temple by Venge.
Day Four: The Choral Order blames Hadira for the slaughter of their people. They once again demand the town's blessing to execute Hadira. During the plea Hadira's spell takes effect and woodland creatures run ransack throughout the town searching for her flute. During the chaos, Galia confronts Adir about the flute and, in a panic, Adir slays Galia to protect their secret and blames it on Hadira's beasts. Tonight, seeking an honorable end, Remus lures Venge into a trap and is slain, though wounded.
Day Five: The townsfolk, headed by young Adir, consent to Prelate Donan's judgement and Hadira is burnt in the center of town at noon. Their bond strong even in madness, Hadira's death drives Venge into a frenzy the very next night and he goes from house to house slaughtering the town and continues to haunt the region, driving it to ruin and abandonment unless slain.
Why is the Party Here?
For this adventure, there are a number of different draws for the party, fashion them as necessary for your table. Some recommendations:
- The party needs some knowledge or cure known only to Hadira
- They are seeking the heir to the throne and must find them in Sorne and return them to the capital
- Thorvald has paid an extravagant fee for their services weeks ago to come in as mediators, things are much worse now than when they were hired
- A sibling or other family member lived in or near Sorne and was slain by Venge. They are here now seeking answers.
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